Dear friends,
You are nearing the end of another day and it's time to relax into a period of grateful reflection.
Make sure you are sitting comfortably or lying down as the case may be.
Relax.
Allow yourself to sink into the chair or cushion or bed,
Whatever it is that's supporting you.
You might like to close your eyes to help bring you into an awareness of this wonderful present moment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson has a wonderful piece of advice for all of us at the end of the day.
He says,
Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
This is very useful advice which we must take to heart.
The day is done.
We have done our best.
Just let things be.
It's time now for a period of relaxation.
This will allow us to set out tomorrow with renewed energy.
So take a deep breath in and allow any worries or concerns of the day to leave you just in the same way as the breath leaves your body.
Once again,
Breathing in this time a sense of relaxation.
Breathing out any tension or strain.
Breathing in the good air of renewal.
And breathing out with a sense of gratitude for all we have.
From the wonderful Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh,
We have these words.
Breathing in,
I calm body and mind.
Breathing out,
I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is the only moment.
Let's have a one minute pause now to bring us to a state of further relaxation.
In this state of relaxation,
It's possible to look gently over the events of the day.
In the first place,
To give thanks for the fact that we have had this day of life experience.
Something that we can too easily take for granted.
And then,
Reflecting with gratitude on the people who have been part of the day.
Any acts of kindness which we have received.
Any acts of kindness which we have managed to perform ourselves.
Maybe some conversations which we have had in which we have found inspiration.
And hopefully,
Some words of advice which we have been able to offer people along the way.
For those who have helped us,
We give thanks.
And we give thanks also for any opportunities that we have had to bring a little kindness to other people.
As Charles Dickens says,
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.
Now we cannot expect life to be plain sailing.
Our patience may have been tried today.
But even the difficult moments,
They teach us resilience and patience.
And these are lessons that we need to learn in order to get ourselves through life.
Let's take another one minute pause now,
60 seconds.
This time to give thanks in a general way for the fact that we have had the gift of life today.
Welcome back again.
Now let us take an opportunity to further relax.
We can put the gains and losses of today into an imaginary envelope and close it with a seal of gratitude.
This sense of gratitude for what we have is so important,
Especially as we near the end of a day.
Gratitude reduces our feeling of needing still more and helps turn what we have into enough.
Breathing in,
I am grateful for the gift of today.
Breathing out,
I resolve to let things be.
Breathing in,
I give thanks for the opportunities of this day.
Breathing out,
I allow myself to believe that I have done my best.
Breathing in,
I look forward to the gift of a new tomorrow.
Breathing out,
I release the events of today completely.
Time now for a Buddhist prayer suitable for the end of today.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.
And from the ancient Celtic tradition,
We have these words,
This prayer.
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.
And as you relax and close your eyes at the end of this day,
Please hold in your heart these words from Psalm 4 of the Hebrew Scriptures.
I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once.
For you alone,
O Lord,
Make me dwell in safety.
And to end,
A short prayer from childhood,
Which may be familiar to listeners who have been brought up in the Christian tradition.
Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
May angels watch me through the night and wake me with the morning light.
Namaste.
